On 18 May 2015, officers from the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) conducted routine inland enforcement checks in the vicinity of Geylang and uncovered an assortment of suspicious health products from an apartment. The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) was immediately alerted to the detection. HSA then seized over 94,000 units of 80 different types of illegal health products from the apartment. The seized items amounted to an estimated street value of more than $200,000, the highest value seized in any operation this year. It comprised mainly sexual enhancement drugs. Please refer to Annex A for photos. A 22-year-old male Chinese national is currently assisting in the investigations.

 

2          HSA would like to reiterate the dangers of purchasing health products from dubious sources like street peddlers, unknown websites or sellers, or even well-meaning friends and relatives. These products may be illegal, counterfeit or substandard. Consumers should be wary when purchasing health products from such dubious sources as it cannot be ascertained where and how these products were manufactured and stored.

 

3          Illegal health products may contain undeclared or potent ingredients which can harm one’s health. In particular, drugs used to treat erectile dysfunction are prescription medicines which should only be taken under medical supervision. Taking these drugs unsupervised may be dangerous for patients with medical conditions such as heart problems. Please visit www.healthdangers.sg to learn more about the dangers of illegal health products.

 

4          As illegal health products often contain substance(s) controlled under the Poisons Act, HSA would like to highlight that it is an offence for an unlicensed person to import, sell or possess for sale any product containing these substances. Anyone found guilty of an offence under the Poisons Act is liable to a fine of up to $10,000 and/or imprisonment for a term of up to two years.

 

5          HSA takes a serious stand against illegal activities that would harm public health and will take strong enforcement actions against those who engage in the sale and supply of illegal health products. These activities are closely monitored and actions such as conducting ground operations to disrupt their sales and operations will be taken. Members of the public are encouraged to report any illegal activity involving health products to the Enforcement Branch of HSA at Tel: 6866-3485 during office hours or email: [email protected].

 

HEALTH SCIENCES AUTHORITY

IMMIGRATION & CHECKPOINTS AUTHORITY

27 MAY 2015

 

ANNEX A
Over 94,000 Units Of Illegal Health Products Worth More Than $200,000 Seized In Geylang

 

HSA Photo 1: Disorganised storage of over 94,000 units of illegal health products


HSA Photo 2: Unhygienic storage of illegal health products


HSA Photo 3: Over 94,000 units of illegal health products worth more than $200,000